And then... There were Three
by Usamigo Tayoru
Summary: Nittle Grasper faces the hard truth that one day, they will be surpassed. The story zooms in on Nittle Grasper in their history, present and thusfar unwritten future. Spoiler: Tohma + (?) later on.


"And then...There were Three" by Usamigo Tayoru  
  
Summary: Nittle Grasper faces the hard truth that Bad Luck will eventually surpass them. The story follows Tohma and his thoughts.  
  
Author's Notes: I didn't have this in mind when I'd come up with the title, but I think this would be just as interesting. Also, there's uhm.. a bit of Japanese in there. x.x After I'd thought this idea was fitting, the title was directed to, of course, Bad Luck taking over.  
  
Cast: Tohma Seguchi, Noriko Ukai, Ryuichi Sakuma & Kumagorou ____________________________________________________________________________ ______  
  
Tohma Seguchi sat in his large office, staring out the window. There was something on his mind. Something that he'd never thought he would have to deal with. Not this soon, at least. Nittle Grasper was becoming a thing of the past. A legend, nevertheless. Blankly, he'd been staring at the new top twenty-five listings in the Japanese Pop genre. He was still shocked to see "Sensitive," Nittle Grasper's current CD, only several points ahead of Bad Luck's "Gravity," which was still in second place. Of course, he'd told himself, at least Bad Luck is a part of his company, N-G Records. But only as Nittle Grasper would he then really be thought of as a keyboardist or producer. Of course, he wouldn't allow such a thing to happen any time soon. Not if he could help it.  
  
Quietly, he'd turned his chair back to his desk, clasping his hands together as he'd continued pondering. He shook it off of his mind and picked up the phone. "Moshi moshi? Ah, konnichi wa," Tohma listened for a moment, "Ruido. Hai." He smirked, leaning back against his chair. "Asatte?" His smirk became a grin, "No. Bad Luck won't be attending."  
  
He stepped out of his office slowly, wondering if he should have made such a decision. Setting up a concert in two days was a murderous task, but one he knows Bad Luck couldn't possibly set up for. The band had been under enough stress as his young cousin had tried to learn new beats to Shindou Shuichi's lyrics. As he was thinking, He'd come across the other two, who'd seemed reasonably happy, but stressed as well.  
  
"Tohma!" Ryuichi waved Kumagorou stupidly in the air, smiling widely. Tohma returned a fake, but very convincing smile to the others. He'd released a soft sigh, figuring now was the best time to tell them.  
  
"NANI?!" was the word from both of their lips. That was something he could expect. "Tohma," Noriko snapped, "We barely know any of these new beats!" With that, Ryuichi's ears perked, hearing the ice cream truck outside of the N-G Records building.  
  
*****  
  
Standing beneath the trees on the small bridge, Tohma closed his eyes for a moment, glad that Nittle Grasper is so highly thought of, or he would have to be stressing out beyond this.  
  
"Tohma.." Noriko sighed softly, leaning her back against the railing, looking opposite of him. Opening his eyes, he glanced over at her. 'Great,' he'd thought, 'here it comes.' He was ready, fortunately. She continued, "Why're you rushing this concert? Why isn't Bad Luck going to be in it?" The more he tried to think of an excuse, the more distant it had become. Or, the more he didn't want to have an excuse. Turning back, both of them began staring in the water, occasionally at their reflections that shimmered on the quiet surface.  
  
Happily, Ryuichi walked through the park, figuring at least one of the other two to be there. Especially Tohma, who'd told him he's always relaxed there. He could hear their voices, which were low and full of concern, so he'd stopped nearby the bridge, listening quietly.  
  
"You shouldn't be worrying about Nittle Grasper, Tohma" Noriko carefully told him, almost positive that that was troubling him. Avoiding eye contact, Tohma unoffensively muttered, "Who had said I was?" She looked at him, beginning to doubt herself now, not sure whether or not to believe that it honestly wasn't bothering him. She frowned slightly. "Those expressions that have been on your face ever since yesterday beg to differ."  
  
Gently, he closed his eyes. True, he had found his expressions to be too readable. It was just his way of making up for his lack of conversation and honest feelings. "I am worrying about Nittle Grasper," he'd admitted, "I wonder when our last concert will be, and who will take our place."  
  
"Tohma, we have to realize that soon we will be surpassed, and there's nothing that can be done to stop that from happening," Noriko explained, "It's inevitable. We just have to step back when the time comes and let the new generation shine. You and I both know who it will be... Bad Luck."  
  
Ryuichi held Kumagorou close to him, listening still as he'd begun fearing that it would be Bad Luck. Sure, Shindou was his friend, and he was his idol, but he didn't want that. He didn't want any of it to end. His passion was singing. He couldn't see himself doing anything else. Foreshadowing only gave him tears, so he rose to his feet and left the park, back to the concert hall.  
  
*****  
  
"Hold me gently, catch me forever, do more until my heart breaks down"  
  
Tohma pulled his hands delicately from his synthesizer, looking up at his band members, smiling. It was moments like these that made him feel powerful. Power that had dominated that of sitting behind a desk, ordering around a frantic young man with glasses, whose words are limited to addressing him and doing as he says.  
  
As quickly as his smile had appeared, it'd vanished. He could clearly see a sign of fatigue as Sakuma placed the microphone back on the stand, barely responsive to the women screaming for him, calling him 'Ryuichi- sama.' Tohma was well aware that he was getting tired of everyone liking him for his looks and voice, but this seemed different. It went beyond that. Looking over at Noriko, she apparently didn't see it. Instead, she gave him a wink and held up her hand, her fingers held up in a V. Estatically, she'd then run to Ryuichi, hugging him tightly as she'd begun praising him for his talent.  
  
*****  
  
"Ryuichi-san? Are you okay?" Tohma asked him, both still in their usual concert outfits. "Hai," Ryuichi softly replied, curled up with Kumagorou on the couch backstage. Glancing at the door, Tohma had thought about if he should proceed to ask. "Ryuichi-san," he hesitated, "did you hear what Nori-chan and I were discussing?" With his peripheral vision, he could see Ryuichi curl up more, as if in pain.  
  
"In the park..?" Ryuichi had asked. Tohma looked at him and nodded slightly. Holding Kumagorou closer to his body, he nodded back hesitantly. Obviously, Tohma had told himself, he didn't want to think of it any more than he did. To no surprise, of course. "I'm going to go change now," Tohma changed the subject. Sitting up, Ryuichi set Kumagorou down beside him. "Sure" Ryuichi flatly commented, "but you might as well wear it...you never know when it could be our last."  
  
From that point, Tohma was nearly speechless, but found the words, "Nori-chan was right, about Bad Luck. But, in the meantime, we're still Nittle Grasper. We're still number one." Fortunately, or not, Noriko had entered the room just in time to hear him, but smiling any ways. "That's right," Noriko commented, "although, I guess I was scared also. I'd been wanting to apologize to you for it." Tohma blinked, "Apologize?" He shook his head, "No need.."  
  
Noriko insisted, "I had said some pretty harsh things, Tohma. Things I shouldn't have said. And, yes, we are still Nittle Grasper." She'd offered a warm smile to Ryuichi. He just rest his head in his hands, "I don't get it. Why worry about it? A lot of people liked us back there." Noriko's smile somewhat vanished, "I'm not worried about it anymore. I've said all I'd needed." Tohma rubbed his face, muttering into his hand, "I try not to think about it, Ryuichi-san." Lifting his head back up, looking at Ryuichi, "We should enjoy these concerts while we still have them." Noriko nodded, "Hai. As long as we're happy doing what we enjoy the most, then lets try to make the best of it."  
  
Furious, Ryuichi threw his hands from his face and stood up, grabbing onto Kumagorou's arm. "Stop saying it as if it was our last!" With that, he stormed out. Tohma took a step back, then looked at Noriko. Looking back at the slammed door, he'd whispered, "Gomen nasai.." Noriko looked at Tohma with concern, walking slowly to him. Carefully, as if fearing he would bite her hand off, she'd placed her hand on his shoulder. He'd barely responded to her touch as she spoke softly, "Tohma. Tell me, what is on your mind?" He shook his head slightly, trying to focus in on one complete thought on his mind, but found nothing, "I don't know. What about you, Nori-chan..?"  
  
Noriko herself had to think about it. She wasn't much for words, but she usually knew what to say when he didn't. "I'm happy, Tohma. We can't worry about it ending, because we should live for what makes us happy. Not foreshadowing. Ryu-chan loves to sing, and I love to play as part of him. As part of Nittle Grasper."  
  
That wasn't enough for him, "but what about when it ends?" He gave her a quizzical look as he turned, her hand falling from his shoulder. She lowered her head, "there's nothing more that I want to do than to be here. To be with you two and play." He sighed inaudibly as she'd continued. "That's why I don't want it to end," she spoke softly, "if it does.."  
  
Tohma hated moments like these. He could almost always see Noriko happy, and when he had thought of her, he would remember her wink and V, followed by a smile, "Nori-chan." She continued tormenting herself, "you and Ryu-chan have lives to live out. I don't have anything but my smiles."  
  
Beginning to remember how Ryuichi had left to America little more than three years to pursue a solo career, she'd added, "I don't want you guys to go away. You're like family to me." Tohma knew exactly what she had been thinking to make her say that. It had still stabbed him in the stomach to ever recall what it was like without him. He knew Nittle Grasper was nothing without him. *He*.. was nothing without him.  
  
Slumping her shoulders, she fell to her knees, leaning against the wall. Hugging her knees to her chest, she pulled out a picture of the three, looking at it thoughtfully. He turned his back to her and shook his head, "We have to stop thinking like this, Nori-chan. We're still Nittle Grasper. Together, we'll always be known as Nittle Grasper." She looked up at him, "That's what I thought, but separately.." Tohma fell silent. She continued, "Ryuichi will always be known because he's just the greatest. You will be because you're the President of N-G Records and one of the best sythesizer players in Japan.." As she dragged on her torment, she dropped the picture out of her hand. When silence had filled the room for too long, he'd turned to look at her again, and then at the picture beside her. She pushed herself to her feet, as Tohma watched her with concern.  
  
She sighed softly, "I guess I'm just afraid of being alone." She laughed lightly, then turned to face him, smiling faintly. Gingerly, he wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly, "you won't be alone, Nori- chan." He held her as he could hear her crying nearly inaudibly. Finally, she found her words of encouragement. To herself and him, even if it wasn't true, "It's not going to end."  
  
*****  
  
Ryuichi leaned against the railing, looking at the lake. "What am I going to do when it ends," he'd asked himself. "I guess I could always go back to America." He softly sighed and muttered, "live in L.A. again." For a moment, he had thought about it and then shook his head slightly, walking off. "If they could just realize that we're not going to break up, then we could look more forward to this." He slid his hands in the pockets of his jacket as he thought. "God, I shouldn't be acting like this," he'd told himself. He began running back, but stopped when he'd come around the corner, holding onto Kumagorou's arm cutely. His vision narrowed down to the icecream man, as he began running towards it, yelling out for it to stop.  
  
Tohma and Noriko both looked towards the door as they heard his distinguishable voice call out, "Hey, icecream man, wait up!," assisted by the charming sounds of children's tunes. By then, a bus had passed by, blocking off Ryuichi's distant path to the truck. Losing hope, he began to form tears in his eyes, "ice cream.." Crying, he'd walked back into the room that they were in. Tohma's attention turned to him as Noriko turned to look at the Nittle Grasper photo. She picked it up and placed it on the wall, straightening it out, then smiling at it.  
  
Sitting down, Ryuichi held Kumagorou in his arms. Noriko mumbled to herself, "I guess I'll deal with it my own way when the time comes." Tohma had heard this and looked at her, "we're still Nittle Grasper and we're still number one." Noriko nodded and turned to Ryuichi, who was again curled up, "we'll always be number one. And we'll always be Nittle Grasper, right, Ryu-chan?" Ryuichi whimpered. Tohma poked his side gently, "nani?" Ryuichi uncurled slightly, "I want icecream." Noriko facefaulted as Tohma sweatdropped.  
  
*****  
  
Sitting down at his desk, Tohma watched as Noriko sat in a chair on the other side, reading the back of Yuki Eiri's newest novel, then shrugged, putting it away for later reading. She looked up at Tohma and smiled slightly, "Do you have anything to read here?" In a mundane tone, Tohma replied, "not here." Bored out of her mind, she looked at the papers on his desk, nosily scanning through them as she asked, "got any papers to read?" Casually, Tohma pointed to the magazine on his desk. Greatful for his help, she picked up the magazine and flicked through it, then leaned back in the chair as she read, kicking her feet onto the end of his desk. Tohma looked at her feet and frowned slightly. Noticing this, Noriko took her feet off, "Eh, gomen."  
  
He began looking at the Nittle Grasper pictures on the wall from his chair. Noriko took note of his silence and looked up at him, noticing what he was doing. Resting an elbow on the desk, she leaned over and said, "We looked really cute back then," Tohma laughed lightly as she continued, "especially me." She giggled softly and Tohma smiled.  
  
To be continued... 


End file.
